Category Archives: Attitude

There are very few things in life I hate, but February comes pretty dang close. Part of this stems from suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which means I tend to be depressed during this short month. Thank God it is short!

After reading a few Facebook posts of friends doing what they can to brighten up this month, I decided that I was going to take my own advice from this blog post, follow their lead, and change February.

I hope you like lists. Because below is a list of some of the things I’m doing to make this February fabulous.

Get out of bed. This is where it all begins. Your body will argue that a few more minutes could make all the difference in your day, and they will—in the wrong way. Plan when you will get up and stick to it.

Turn on the lights. Yeah, it costs a little bit more in electricity (especially if, like me, you despise those “energy efficient” bastardizations of the light bulb), but it’s a quick mood-lifter.

Exercise. And straightening up the house doesn’t count. I mean hardcore lifting or cardio. Or, if you’re super amazing this way, both. I’m not. So I lift. If you can, it’s best to exercise in the morning because it gets your blood flowing and gives you that endorphin boost all day long. Since getting out to the gym is difficult to impossible for me, my current workout of choice is Jillian’s Total Body Revolution.

Get fully dressed to shoes and jewelry. Do it no matter where you work, but especially if it’s alone or at home. One simply feels happier, more successful, and prettier when dressed. It seems stupid and wasteful, especially when you start taking your makeup off at night and realize no one but you appreciated the effort. But just think—you won’t scare yourself when you run across a mirror and take a quick glance. Thank you, FlyLady!

Seriously. I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Eat a good breakfast. Maybe it’s because I’ve been on a diet that requires me to actually cook something for breakfast, but this anti-breakfast chic is noticing the difference. Planning breakfast the night before helps a lot, especially before the coffee gets a chance to kick in. And you know the drill: protein, fiber, and good fats are the best combination.

Keep the music on. This is one I forget so often. It’s kind of surprising, considering that I teach music on the side. Thankfully, both my big guy and little guy love music and either the big one turns it on or the little one requests it. While you’re at it, shake up your library with suggestions from friends. Then you can be proud of yourself for increasing your musical awareness.

Make a date with some friends. Nothing brightens a day like coffee and chat…or whatever your drink of choice may be.

Read books on mental health. I feel like just a little bit of this type of reading keeps me progressing towards continual mental health. Right now I’m reading Learned Optimism. In addition to being a fun read, it’s been extremely helpful to practice the exercises.

So that’s my plan for February. Seriously, it’s going to be the best February ever.

I feel sorry for Monday. He’s been the brunt of too many comic strips and comments to number. Everyone seems to dread or even hate him. We expect people to drag a bit or be blue on this first day of the traditional work week.

While I am far from a hedonist, if something isn’t fun, chances are I will try to get out of it or avoid it. Mondays used to be that way for me. Back when I taught music full-time, Monday afternoon was lesson day for five of my siblings. Now, while teaching is one of my favorite things to do, teaching one’s brothers and sisters is a challenge no matter how good of friends you are. I didn’t like the person I became during those three hours, and I’m sure they didn’t either.

So I changed Monday.

Monday didn’t go anywhere, but I determined to make him a day I loved. So after a nice workout at the gym (and often a quick trip to the tanning salon—horrors!), I’d clean up and go to Starbucks for a Venti two-pump Raspberry Mocha, extra hot.

I’m pretty sure Starbucks is responsible for the fact that my family and I are still friends over ten years later. Do you have any idea what that amount of caffeine does to a (then) skinny girl with a hyper metabolism? There were probably days when I sounded like the guy giving you the fine print in a radio ad.

Fast forward about five or so years. I’m back to hating Monday. Well, not hating—it’s just that I dragged a little. Monday’s meant an office workday for me and, being a people person, that was a pretty lonely day. Plus, I knew I could be getting more done in less time if I just had a plan.

So I changed Monday. Again.

A new friend (also a small-business owner) and I began meeting in the Borders Café at 9am for coffee and a weekly planning session. We’d pull out our agendas and make our lists of things to do and people to call, all while chatting about the previous week. We challenged each other and encouraged each other. And I loved Monday.

Between marrying and moving and then the sad, sad day when Borders closed it’s doors, Monday again returned to hum-drum. My Monday friend and I now live an hour apart, so my Monday’s are back at Starbucks, sipping my coffee and charting my week in a comfy chair in front of the fire. While it’s certainly not home like Borders was, and is a bit lonely without Laurie, it works. It makes me happy. And I love Monday.

A book I’m reading quotes Alfred Souza: “For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin—real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”

I want to live life fully. So I’m committed changing what I can and embracing what I can’t. How about you?